I'm sure others will chime in. I will base my answer in my experience. I had an F150 (1/2 ton) for my 297RSTS. Technically, I was within weights but at or barely on payload which is usually what gets ya from what I have learned from this group and elsewhere.

The specs on a 2800bh may say 600 on tongue weight but once you load it up and put the proper amount on the tougue, you'll be looking close to 1000lbs. (12-15% of trailer weight) Add people, dogs, bbq's etc in the bed of the truck and you'll be pushing payload.

I personally would head for a 3/4 ton and avoid the hit I took when I had to upgrade my 2019 F-150.

First post could be controversial

1/2 ton could certainly tow your new trailer, and do it within the payload and towing capacities. The newer 1/2 tons are far more capable than those of 10 years ago. However, my personal opinion is that you will have a better towing experience with a 3/4 ton...especially if you are planning cross country trips.

A payload of 2000#-2500# or more will give you a lot more flexibility with your setup, and the extra size/weight of the 3/4 ton doesn't let the trailer push you around as easily. You can even save the "diesel tax" and go with a gas 3/4 ton. Dodge/Ram, GMC/Chevy and Ford all have excellent gas engines in their 3/4 ton trucks.

Tc123
Welcome to our owners technical forum. This thread will help you with your signature and navigating the forum. https://gdrvowners.com/forum/main-fo...to-new-members

1/2 ton trucks come with a lot of different capabilities. There is an advantage to the smaller size and weight of a half ton if it is your "daily driver" and for most owners, 95% of the miles they put on their truck are non-towing. A half ton payload of about 2000 lbs is available from all truck manufacturers, but the only one that can carry more than that is the HDPP (Heavy Duty Payload Package) F150 which will have a payload over 2500 lbs. You won't find one of these on a dealer's lot, it would have to be special order.

As mentioned earlier, the easiest way to get to a comfortable payload margin is with a gas 3/4 ton.

Every truck has a yellow tire information label on the driver's door. There will be a line on that label that says "Combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed ???" . . . this is the payload and will be different for every individual truck depending on the options it was built with.

Rob

Tc123 , Hi
I'm towing a 2017 2800BH with a Toyota Tundra.

I know people are throwing alot of numbers around (GCWR, GAWR, GVWR). And they are all important, but let's start with the one that usually is ignored till it's too late.

Payload.

Most vehicles have a Payload number. This number refers to all the cargo weight that you can safely add in addition to your truck's empty weight (also known as curb weight). A “payload” could be anything from a truck bed full of garden mulch to five passengers and a week's worth of luggage. A trailer's tongue counts against the payload number.

Usually Payload is the GVWR - Curb Weight. BUT, and here's the big BUT, the REAL payload number is on a sticker in the doorjam of your truck, in the driver side door. BUT, and here's another BUT, you have to look for a payload modification sticker at the same time. Accessories and assembly modifications can change the truck's rating:




Back to my Story. My Truck (2012 Toyota Tundra) is supposed to have a Payload of 1600lbs according to the user manual. Based on all my numbers, That gives me a nice comfortable cushion of 300-400lbs of payload with me and the trailer hooked up. (Your tongue weight of the trailer subtracts from the payload). Heck, I might even have enough payload to put something in the bed of the truck!

But wait! I have a dreaded payload modification sticker (Not this picture, that's a random one I found on the internet). Mine says my payload is 1380lbs. I don't know where that almost 300lbs went, but it's gone.

AND now I'm nearly at capacity!

Moral of the story:
Know what your tongue weight is (Really, not the 600lbs the manual states) and what you want to keep in the truck. (You, family, gear). There is no way to increase payload on a truck once it leaves the factory. Find the sticker when you're looking at trucks, cause the published numbers mean very little when you have a sticker ON the truck that says something VERY different.

Right now. I'm at the limit. I have to be VERY careful loading my trailer, and my truck. I have to be so careful, I'm considering a new truck so I have some "wiggle" room so I don't have to pay as close attention every time I hook up. That is a financial commitment I'm not ready to make at the moment, so I continue to be very careful. I might invest in a portable tongue scale so I can spot check it.

Here's a video by a youtuber that explains it very well, and is entertaining:
https://youtu.be/qwFLOBrADBs

If you haven't found it already, Tc123, check out the towing reference material at Reference Material - Grand Design Owners Forums (gdrvowners.com)

I think it's great that you have an opportunity to pick the right truck for the job and certainly payload and towing capacity need to be at the top of the list for criteria. After that, I would consider torque and horsepower, and then start looking at comfort. After all, trying to squeeze for people into a standard cab won't be comfortable for anyone, nor would a seat with a head rest that constantly pushes your head down.

One 'comfort' item I like is a built in trailer brake. I really dislike having my knee constantly pushing against an external box.

Thanks to all who replied. Your insights have been very helpful!

Tossing in an outlier from the big 3 would be the Nissan Titan XD. The stopped making the diesel in '19 but the gasser is still strong for what you are looking for. Payload on these is usually 2200-2500 depending on trim level, etc. The drive and have maintenance much like a half-ton and have price tags MUCH less than "comparable" HDPP Half-tons or 3/4ton.

I agree with mpking that payload is a much more important number nowadays. A manufacturer website will tell you their half-ton can tow 13,000, but the payload is 1600...doesn't make sense to me!

Your lucky to do it this way instead of the other like many of us!

Tons of great information here. Since payloads are increasing with half tons they can be very capable. The yellow tag in the door jamb is critical where some manufacturers will state unrealistic towing capability when the payload of a truck can easily fall short. A few key points in choosing a truck is payload based on the 10% -15% of the max GVWR of the trailer in addition to everything that will be added to the truck, including truck accessories, luggage, pets, people, etc. Another is non-towing fuel economy. 3/4 ton trucks will come with heavy duty powertrains but will burn more fuel since they weigh more. All half tons come with light duty powertrains, are lighter and will deliver better non-towing fuel economy than any heavy duty truck. Last is handling. While a half ton truck if properly equipped and set up is fully capable of towing the 2800BH, the HD truck with more mass will better counter cross winds and the resultant side loads that will be applied to the large walls of the rig.

Since its just the wife and I in our case, we will stick with a half ton for our mostly non-towing usage and most likely will move to the light duty diesel since fuel prices will be on the rise.

Jim

For what it's worth, we have the smaller sibling of the 2800BH, and our tow vehicle is in my signature. Our truck handles the trailer very well, but I always need to think in my mind about weight. In the end do I wish I went 3/4ton? From a weight stance and having an extra margin, sure. From a daily driver and not towing stance, not at all. (Although current events have allowed me to work from home, meaning I don't drive all that much, so a bigger truck would have been fine )

When we were shopping for our truck and trailer, we considered the 2800, but in the end the numbers were just telling me that trailer is more suitable for a 3/4ton, and again we were aiming for 1/2ton. We were always maxing out payload calculations with the 2800BH.

Personal opinion, but if you are considering a 1/2ton, get the extended box. That will give you the longer wheelbase, which should help control the trailer more.

On point decision about the 2800 being 'more suited' to a 3/4. I would rather have room in my payload/tongue weight than always be riding the limit. Guest has the best point about weighing the DD vs. Dedicated TV. Many of us are weekend warriors with some long trips thrown in. If you are full time, Diesel 3/4 to 1ton or even DRW is awesome because of the dedicated use. Our TV is use more to cart around 3 kiddos in car seats so it makes more sense.

Tc123 Welcome to the family and the forum!